U.S. patent application number 16/524756 was filed with the patent office on 2021-02-04 for management of securable computing resources.
The applicant listed for this patent is International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to Christopher V. DeRobertis, Andrew C. M. Hicks, Khaalid Persaud Juggan McMillan, RYAN THOMAS RAWLINS.
Application Number | 20210036463 16/524756 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004233451 |
Filed Date | 2021-02-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210036463 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hicks; Andrew C. M. ; et
al. |
February 4, 2021 |
MANAGEMENT OF SECURABLE COMPUTING RESOURCES
Abstract
A locking element for use with a cable having a plug insertable
into a plug receiver of a housing is provided. The locking element
includes a connector body connected to the plug and including a
receiving feature insertable through an aperture of the housing.
The locking element further includes a locking feature configured
to assume one of a locked condition in which the locking feature
locks onto the receiving feature or prevents insertion of the
receiving feature through the aperture and an unlocked condition in
which the locking feature unlocks the receiving feature or permits
insertion of the receiving feature through the aperture and an
actuator coupled to the locking feature and configured to control
the locking feature to assume the one of the locked and unlocked
conditions.
Inventors: |
Hicks; Andrew C. M.;
(Wappingers Falls, NY) ; McMillan; Khaalid Persaud
Juggan; (Wappingers Falls, NY) ; DeRobertis;
Christopher V.; (Hopewell Junction, NY) ; RAWLINS;
RYAN THOMAS; (New Paltz, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
International Business Machines Corporation |
Armonk |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004233451 |
Appl. No.: |
16/524756 |
Filed: |
July 29, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R 13/518 20130101;
H01R 13/516 20130101; H01R 25/006 20130101; H01R 13/6397
20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01R 13/639 20060101
H01R013/639 |
Claims
1. A locking element for use with a cable having a plug insertable
into a plug receiver of a housing, the locking element comprising:
a connector body connected at a base thereof to only a side of the
plug and comprising a receiving feature insertable through an
aperture of the housing; a locking feature configured to assume one
of a locked condition in which the locking feature locks onto the
receiving feature or prevents insertion of the receiving feature
through the aperture and an unlocked condition in which the locking
feature unlocks the receiving feature or permits insertion of the
receiving feature through the aperture; and an actuator coupled to
the locking feature and configured to control the locking feature
to assume the one of the locked and unlocked conditions.
2. The locking element according to claim 1, wherein the housing is
a housing of a computing resource and the cable comprises one or
more of an Ethernet cable, an optical cable, a telecommunications
cable and a power cable.
3. The locking element according to claim 1, wherein: the connector
body extends laterally from the side of the plug, and the receiving
feature is provided as an elongate element extending forwardly from
a distal portion of the connector body and comprises a notched
portion which is inserted through the aperture of the housing
without the connector body being pivoted relative to the plug,
without the elongate element being pivoted relative to the
connector body and with the plug being inserted into the plug
receiver of the housing.
4. The locking element according to claim 1, wherein the locking
feature is disposed within an interior of the housing or at an
exterior of the housing.
5. The locking element according to claim 1, wherein the actuator
is disposed within an interior of the housing.
6. The locking element according to claim 1, wherein: the actuator
is supportively disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) within an
interior of the housing, and the actuator is receptive of commands
from the PCB.
7. The locking element according to claim 1, wherein the actuator
comprises a rotary actuator.
8. The locking element according to claim 1, wherein the actuator
comprises: an output shaft; and a physical locking feature coupled
to the output shaft.
9. The locking element according to claim 8, wherein the physical
locking feature comprises one or more of a latch configured for
engagement with the receiving feature and a pin configured for
insertion into the receiving feature.
10. A locking assembly, comprising: a housing defining an aperture
and comprising a plug receiver; a cable comprising a plug
insertable into the plug receiver; a connector body connected at a
base thereof to only a side of the plug and comprising a receiving
feature insertable through the aperture; a locking feature
configured to assume one of a locked condition in which the locking
feature locks onto the receiving feature or prevents insertion of
the receiving feature through the aperture and an unlocked
condition in which the locking feature unlocks the receiving
feature or permits insertion of the receiving feature through the
aperture; and an actuator coupled to the locking feature and
configured to control the locking feature to assume the one of the
locked and unlocked conditions.
11. The locking assembly according to claim 10, wherein the housing
is a housing of a computing resource and the cable comprises one or
more of an Ethernet cable, an optical cable, a telecommunications
cable and a power cable.
12. The locking assembly according to claim 10, wherein: the
connector body extends laterally from the side of the plug, and the
receiving feature is provided as an elongate element extending
forwardly from a istal portion of the connector body and comprises
a notched portion which is inserted through the aperture of the
housing without the connector body being pivoted relative to the
plug, without the elongate element being pivoted relative to the
connector body and with the plug being inserted into the plug
receiver of the housing.
13. The locking assembly according to claim 10, wherein the locking
feature is disposed within an interior of the housing or at an
exterior of the housing.
14. The locking assembly according to claim 10, wherein the
actuator is disposed within an interior of the housing.
15. The locking assembly according to claim 10, wherein: the
actuator is supportively disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB)
within an interior of the housing, and the actuator is receptive of
commands from the PCB.
16. The locking assembly according to claim 10, wherein the
actuator comprises a rotary actuator.
17. The locking assembly according to claim 10, wherein the
actuator comprises: an output shaft; and a physical locking feature
coupled to the output shaft.
18. The locking assembly according to claim 17, wherein the
physical locking feature comprises one or more of a latch
configured for engagement with the receiving feature and a pin
configured for insertion into the receiving feature.
19. A method of operating a locking assembly of a computing
resource, the method comprising: determining whether an operator is
authorized to plug a cable into the computing resource; commanding
an actuator to cause a locking feature to prevent the cable from
being plugged into the computing resource in an event the
determining indicates that the operator is unauthorized to plug the
cable into the computing resource; and commanding the actuator to
cause the locking feature to permit the cable to be plugged into
the computing resource in an event the determining indicates that
the operator is authorized to plug the cable into the computing
resource; determining whether the operator is authorized to unplug
the cable from the computing resource; commanding the actuator to
cause the locking feature to prevent the cable from being unplugged
from the computing resource in an event the determining indicates
that the operator is unauthorized to unplug the cable from the
computing resource; and commanding the actuator to cause the
locking feature to permit the cable to be unplugged from the
computing resource in an event the determining indicates that the
operator is authorized to unplug the cable from the computing
resource.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the determining and
the commanding are executed at an operating system (OS) level or
higher of the computing resource.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention generally relates to computing
resources and safes, and more specifically, to management of
securable computing resources and safes.
[0002] Modern cloud service providers and data centers include
large numbers of computers and other similar components that are
housed in large facilities. Within those facilities, various cables
are connected to each of the computers to allow for the computers
to receive power and to communicate various types of data with each
other and with external devices.
SUMMARY
[0003] Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a
locking element for use with a cable having a plug insertable into
a plug receiver of a housing. A non-limiting example of the locking
element includes a connector body connected to the plug and
including a receiving feature insertable through an aperture of the
housing. The locking element further includes a locking feature
configured to assume one of a locked condition in which the locking
feature locks onto the receiving feature or prevents insertion of
the receiving feature through the aperture and an unlocked
condition in which the locking feature unlocks the receiving
feature or permits insertion of the receiving feature through the
aperture and an actuator coupled to the locking feature and
configured to control the locking feature to assume the one of the
locked and unlocked conditions.
[0004] Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a
locking assembly. A non-limiting example of the locking assembly
includes a housing defining an aperture and comprising a plug
receiver, a cable including a plug insertable into the plug
receiver, a connector body connected to the plug and including a
receiving feature insertable through the aperture. The locking
assembly further includes a locking feature configured to assume
one of a locked condition in which the locking feature locks onto
the receiving feature or prevents insertion of the receiving
feature through the aperture and an unlocked condition in which the
locking feature unlocks the receiving feature or permits insertion
of the receiving feature through the aperture and an actuator
coupled to the locking feature and configured to control the
locking feature to assume the one of the locked and unlocked
conditions.
[0005] Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a
method of operating a locking assembly of a computing resource. A
non-limiting example of the method includes determining whether an
operator is authorized to manipulate a cable relative to the
computing resource, commanding an actuator to cause a locking
feature to prevent the cable from being unplugged from or plugged
into the computing resource in an event the determining indicates
that the operator is unauthorized to unplug the cable from or to
plug the cable into the computing resource and commanding the
actuator to cause the locking feature to permit the cable to be
unplugged from or plugged into the computing resource in an event
the determining indicates that the operator is authorized to unplug
the cable from or to plug the cable into the computing
resource.
[0006] Additional technical features and benefits are realized
through the techniques of the present invention. Embodiments and
aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are
considered a part of the claimed subject matter. For a better
understanding, refer to the detailed description and to the
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The specifics of the exclusive rights described herein are
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at
the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other
features and advantages of the embodiments of the invention are
apparent from the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic illustration of a system of
computing resources in accordance with embodiments of the present
invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of components of the
computing resources of FIG. 1 in accordance with embodiments of the
present invention;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of ports of the computing
resources of FIG. 1 in accordance with embodiments of the present
invention;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cable and a locking
element of computing resources in accordance with embodiments of
the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the cable and the
locking element of FIG. 4 in accordance with embodiments of the
present invention;
[0013] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the locking
element of FIGS. 4 and 5 in accordance with embodiments of the
present invention;
[0014] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of operating
a locking assembly of a computing resource in accordance with
embodiments of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a system of computing
resources in accordance with embodiments of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of operating
the system of FIG. 8 in accordance with embodiments of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of an expansion of the
system of FIG. 8 in accordance with embodiments of the present
invention;
[0018] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a system including a
common interface in accordance with embodiments of the present
invention;
[0019] FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of operating
a system with a common interface in accordance with embodiments of
the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a system including a
physical authentication interface in accordance with embodiments of
the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of operating
a system with a physical authentication interface in accordance
with embodiments of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a cable and a locking
element of computing resources in accordance with embodiments of
the present invention; and
[0023] FIG. 16 is another perspective view of the cable and the
locking element of FIG. 15 in accordance with embodiments of the
present invention.
[0024] The diagrams depicted herein are illustrative. There can be
many variations to the diagrams or the operations described therein
without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance,
the actions can be performed in a differing order or actions can be
added, deleted or modified. Also, the term "coupled" and variations
thereof describe having a communications path between two elements
and do not imply a direct connection between the elements with no
intervening elements/connections between them. All of these
variations are considered a part of the specification.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] One or more embodiments of the present invention provide
systems and methods for controlling locks to thereby manage the
plugging-in and unplugging of various types of cables and inserts
into and from computing and other types of resources.
[0026] In modern cloud service providers and data centers, large
numbers of computers and other similar components are housed in
large facilities. Within those facilities, various cables are
connected to each of the computers to allow for the computers to
receive power and to communicate various types of data with each
other and with external devices. The connections of each of these
and other cables to the computers need to be frequently inspected
and sometimes serviced, repaired or replaced. This is time
consuming and can result in malfunctions in an event one or more
connections are handled incorrectly or at inappropriate times. As
such, management of the connections of the cables and the other
cables to each of the computers in modern cloud service providers
and data centers is highly important for insuring that the
computers are operated properly and without failures.
[0027] One or more embodiments of the present invention provide
systems and methods for management of the connections to each of
the computers in modern cloud service providers and data centers or
other similar securable components. This insures that the computers
and the other similar securable components are operated properly
and without failures.
[0028] Turning now to FIG. 1, a system 101 is generally shown in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
The system 101 includes one or more computing or securable
resources (hereinafter referred to as "computing resources") 110.
The system 101 could be provided as a cloud service, a shared data
center, etc. in any case, each computing resource 110 can be
provided as a safe 111, a server 112 that is housed in a rack 113
or another similar feature. The safe 111 can be controlled and
monitored through software based mitigation systems. All requests
to access the resources within the safe 111 would need to be
registered and authenticated before the attempt would be approved
or denied. If a user wished to unlock the safe 111, they would need
to pass proper identification, such as a finger print, PIN code,
etc., to a controller which would then evaluate the information and
open the lock should the user possess the correct authority.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the computing resources 110 can be, but
are not required to be, arranged in rows and columns across one or
more floors 114. In each row or column, each of the computing
resources 110 can be coupled to one or more cables 115. The cables
115 can include, but are not limited to, communication cables and
power cables and can carry various signals, such as power signals,
data signals, etc.
[0030] With reference to FIG. 2, each of the computing resources
110 can include a set of drawers 201 where each drawer 201 can
include a service processor (SP) 202 and one or more central
processors (CPs) 203 that are communicative with the SP 202. Each
SP 202 of each drawer 201 can be interconnected with the SPs 202 of
the other drawers 201 and each CP 203 of each drawer 201 can be
communicative with memory units and can form a logical cluster
alone or in combination with other CPs 203.
[0031] With continued reference to FIG. 2 and with additional
reference to FIG. 3, one or more of the drawers 201 of each
computing resource 110 can include one or more ports 301, storage
devices 302 and communications, memory or peripheral cards 303. The
ports 301 can provide direct or indirect access to the storage
devices 302 and the communications, memory and peripheral cards
303. Each of the ports 301 can be provided as a plug receiver 310
that a plug 320 of a cable 321 can be plugged into. The cable 321
can be provided as one or more of a power cable, an Ethernet cable,
a fiber optic cable, a telecommunications cable, etc., such that
the cable 321 can effectively be plugged into the computing
resource 110.
[0032] With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, a computing resource 110 as
described above can include a housing 116 that is formed to define
an aperture 117 and the system 101 of FIG. 1 can further include,
for each cable 321 and each computing resource 110, a locking
element 401. Here, each cable 321 can include the plug 320, a
connector body 3201 and a receiving feature 3202. The connector
body 3201 can extend outwardly and laterally from the plug 320 and
the receiving feature 3202 can extend forwardly from the connector
body 3201. With this or a similar construction, when the plug 320
is inserted into the plug receiver 310, the receiving feature 3202
is correspondingly inserted into the housing 116 through the
aperture 117. In accordance with embodiments of the present
invention, the receiving feature 3202 can be formed as an elongate
element with a notch 3203 (see FIG. 6) at a distal end thereof.
[0033] With continued reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 and with
additional reference to FIG. 6, the locking element 401 includes a
locking feature 410 and an actuator 420. The locking feature 410 is
configured to assume a locked condition or an unlocked condition.
In the locked condition, the locking feature 410 engages with the
notch 3203 of the plug 320 of the cable 321 such that the cable 321
is locked to the computing resource 110 and cannot be unplugged.
Alternatively, in the locked condition, the locking feature 410
blocks passage of the receiving feature 3202 through the aperture
117 such that the locking feature 410 effectively prevents the plug
320 of the cable 321 from being inserted into the plug receiver 310
of the computing resource 110. In the unlocked condition, the
locking feature 410 disengages from the notch 3203 of the plug 320
of the cable 321 such that the cable 321 is unlocked from the
computing resource 110 and can be unplugged. Alternatively, in the
unlocked condition, the locking feature 410 permits passage of the
receiving feature 3202 through the aperture 117 such that the
locking feature 410 effectively permits the plug 320 of the cable
321 to be inserted into the plug receiver 310 of the computing
resource 110.
[0034] The actuator 420 is coupled to the locking feature 410 and
is configured to control the locking feature 410 to assume the one
of the locked and unlocked conditions. In accordance with
embodiments of the present invention, the actuator 420 can be
provided as a linear actuator or as a rotary actuator 4201 as shown
in FIG. 6. In the case of the actuator 420 being provided as the
rotary actuator 4201, the rotary actuator 4201 can include an
output shaft 610 and a physical locking feature 620. The physical
locking feature 620 is coupled to the output shaft 610 and includes
one or more of a latch 621 that is configured for engagement with
the receiving feature 3202 of the cable 321 (to either lock the
cable 321 in place or to prevent insertion of the cable 321) and a
pin configured for insertion into the receiving feature 3202. In
the former case, the rotary actuator 4201 is configured to rotate
the output shaft 610 in first and second opposite directions
whereby the latch 621 is rotationally moved into or out of locking
and unlocking positions with respect to the notch 3203.
[0035] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the locking feature 410 and the
actuator 420 can be disposed within an interior of the housing 116.
It is to be understood, however, that this is not required and that
embodiments exist in which at least one of the locking feature 410
and the actuator 420 are disposed at an exterior of the housing 116
(see FIGS. 15 and 16 and accompanying text below). Where the
actuator 420 is disposed within the interior of the housing 116,
the actuator 420 can be disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB)
421. This PCB 421 can include various processing elements and can
generate commands for operating the actuator 420 whereby the
actuator 420 is receptive of commands from the PCB 421.
[0036] With continued reference to FIG. 6 and with reference back
to FIGS. 2 and 3, one or more of the SP 202 and one or more of the
CPs 203 of each drawer 201 of each computing resource 110 can be
configured to cooperatively define or act as a controller 630. The
controller 630 can be embodied as a generic hardware management
console (HMC) 631, a generic service element (SE) 632 or as another
suitable form. In any case, the controller 630 can be configured to
define rules for users of the system 101 (see FIG. 1) where the
rules are associated with respective IDs of each of the users and
established criteria associated with each user for operating the
locking elements 401. The rules can, for example, set forth times
when one or more of the users of the system 101 are authorized to
manipulate (i.e., unplug or plug in) one or more cables 321
relative to one or more computing resources 110. Thus, the
controller 630 can cause locking features 410 of corresponding
locking elements 401 to assume the unlocked conditions during those
times. That is, the controller 630 effectively causes the locking
feature 410 of each of the locking elements 401 to assume one of
the locked and unlocked conditions in accordance with respective
IDs of users and the criteria established for each user.
[0037] In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the
computing resource 110 can be provided as a server in which various
systems management operations are executed via the HMC 631 and the
SE 632. An example of such systems management operations is
configuration management. This relates to techniques, resources and
tools used to initialize, configure, customize and maintain
hardware, including the input/output (I/O) resources (network,
storage, etc.). Both the HMC 631 and the SE 632 can be configured
with user management interfaces for a first set of users defined to
the HMC 631 and a second set of user defined to the SE 632. The
first and second sets of users have associated privilege levels
that define what operations (or tasks) they are permitted to do
with respect to the computing resource.
[0038] With reference to FIG. 7, a method of operating a locking
assembly of a computing resource, such as a computing resource 110
as described herein, is provided. The method includes operations
that can be executed as an OS level or higher of the computing
resource 110. As shown in FIG. 7, the method includes determining
whether an operator is authorized to manipulate a cable relative to
the computing resource (block 701). The method further includes
commanding an actuator to cause a locking feature of a locking
assembly to assume a locked condition to prevent the cable from
being unplugged from or plugged into the computing resource in an
event the determining indicates that the operator is unauthorized
to unplug the cable from or to plug the cable into the computing
resource (block 702). In addition, the method includes commanding
the actuator to cause the locking feature of the locking assembly
to assume the unlocked condition to permit the cable to be
unplugged from or plugged into the computing resource in an event
the determining indicates that the operator is authorized to unplug
the cable from or to plug the cable into the computing resource
(block 703).
[0039] In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present
invention, "HMC users" and "SE users" can be defined to have rules
associated to their user IDs that would lock or unlock a cable
based on the "cable criteria" associated with each of them. For
example, an "HMC user," admincasey, can be permitted to remove or
insert cables for a certain card for a certain computing resource
between certain hours of the day, Friday through Sunday. This "HMC
user," admincasey, is not permitted to remove or insert cables into
other cards for the certain computing resource at any other time or
day of the week. Furthermore, the "HMC user," admincasey, is not
permitted to remove or insert cables into any other physical port,
in any other computing resource. Thus, when the "HMC user,"
admincasey, successfully logs in to the HMC 631 on Saturday at 4
AM, he or she will be able to successfully issue a cable command to
unlock the cable locks for which he or she is authorized. However,
if the "HMC user," admincasey, issues a cable command to unlock any
other cable in any other location, the cable lock will not unlock
because he or she is not permitted to unlock or lock those cables.
Similar schemes can be used for the SE users.
[0040] Modern software systems often rely heavily upon various
authentication methods to mitigate security risks and data
integrity issues. Traditional embodiments of this concept exist
strictly within the software domain protecting assets such as
account numbers, passwords and other sensitive information. To gain
access to these assets, there are a wide variety of techniques such
as PINs, passwords, encryption and biometrics. Existing
implementations, such as accessing a locked mobile device, will
pass identification information through to the underlying OS or
security product to authenticate the user to the desired
resource.
[0041] With reference to FIG. 8, a system 801 is provided and can
include one or more securable resources 810, such as computing
resources or a safes or some other similar elements, locking
elements 820 similar to the locking element 401 described above and
a controller 830 similar to the controller 630 described above. The
controller 830 is receptive of an instruction 831 to authorize
users to unlock one or more of the one or more securable resources
810. The controller 830 is further configured to perform OS level
authentication of the users and OS level control of the one or more
locking elements 401 in accordance with the instruction 831 to
authorize users and the OS level authentication.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 8, the instruction 831 is received from an
external communication and can be received via one or more of an
access control system or service (ACSS) interface 832 and a change
mode (CHMOD) interface 833. The instruction 810 can be one of time
sensitive and condition dependent. The OS level authentication of
the users can be performed by the controller 830 performing one or
more of fingerprint and pin code OS level authentication at
fingerprint and pin code verification elements 8301 and 8302. The
OS level control of the one or more locking elements 82 can be
performed by the controller 830 whereby the controller 830 causes
the one or more locking elements 820 to assume the respective
unlocked conditions in accordance with a requesting user being
authorized by the instruction 831 to authorize users and being
authenticated by the OS level authentication by the controller
830.
[0043] An example of the system 801 of FIG. 8 can be seen in a
physical lock on a safe which is controlled and monitored through
software based mitigation systems as noted above. All requests to
access the resources within the safe would need to be registered
and authenticated before the attempt would be approved or denied.
If a user wished to unlock the safe, they would need to pass proper
identification, such as a finger print, PIN code, etc., to the
controlling OS which would then evaluate the information and open
the lock should the user possess the correct authority. This notion
can be extrapolated to other physical resources as well including
input/output (I/O) ports, storage devices and communication cards.
An employee in a company may be granted temporary authority to add
or remove devices. This authority can be time sensitive to limit
access to only during the employee's shift or during emergencies
such as a system outage or other critical situation. An
administrator or other authorized user would be required to
authorize these users via standard interfaces in the controlling
operating system such as ACSS or CHMOD. Having additional physical
information protection will prevent and mitigate unauthorized
access from malicious users and disgruntled employees trying to
cause physical harm to a set of resources or attempting to steal
information.
[0044] With reference to FIG. 9, a method of operating a system,
such as the system 801 of FIG. 8, is provided. As shown in FIG. 9,
the method includes controlling locking elements to assume locked
conditions whereby corresponding securable resources are locked by
the locking elements (block 901), receiving an instruction to
authorize users to unlock one or more of the securable resources
(block 902) and receiving a request from a user to unlock and
thereby gain access to one or more of the securable resources
(block 903). The method further includes determining whether the
user is authorized to unlock and thereby gain access to the one or
more of the securable resources associated with the request (block
904), performing operating system (OS) level authentication of the
user (block 905) and performing OS level control of the
corresponding locking elements in accordance with the user being
determined to be authorized and authenticated (block 906).
[0045] As demand for content and services continues to grow, more
machines and resources are utilized in data centers and other
computing centers. A common problem in these areas is having
machines fail and necessitate that a replacement be installed and
configured quickly to maintain availability to the end customer. As
machines are added and removed to a large network of devices
working in unison, wires and cables are needed to enable proper
communications. During maintenance and updates to these machines,
sometimes the incorrect wire is removed or one is added to an
incorrect port causing outages, delays and other damages.
[0046] Thus, with reference to FIG. 10, the system 801 of FIG. 8
can be expanded to include one or more resources, such as safes
1001 and computing resources 1002, where each of the one or more
resources includes multiple independently securable resources, such
as separate interiors 1003 of the safe 1001 and one or more of
power and data communication cables which are insertable into
ports, storage devices or communications cards 1004 of the
computing resource 1002. In accordance with embodiments of the
present invention, the instruction 831 (see FIG. 8) for the safe
1001 can relate to the locks of one or more but not necessarily all
of the separate interiors 1003 and the instruction 831 (see FIG. 8)
for the computing resource 1002 can similarly relate to one or more
but not necessarily all of the various components of the computing
resource 1002. In the cases of the resources of FIG. 10, the system
801 of FIG. 8 operates substantially similarly as described
above.
[0047] In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present
invention, a physical access port on a securable resource can be
guarded by physical locks and risk mitigation systems that can only
be removed through the authorization of a software based system
such as ACSS or CHMOD. A use case may be that a communication cable
needs to be replaced between a server and communications router. A
system administrator may authorize a specific user to remove a
specific cable by unlocking only the required port on the server.
This will prevent accidental or malicious disconnects from healthy
communications on the server as physical locks or pins will
restrict access to other resources and devices interfacing with the
desired server. The result is an increase in reliability and
security for devices operating within a test floor or data center
where configurations are constantly changing and maintenance is
always ongoing.
[0048] With increasing requirements for computing power and data
storage, cloud providers are relying more and more on data centers
that include a variety of tools and machines. Each unique tool or
device usually requires a skilled technician or employee to manage
and configure it for optimal use so customers receive reliable and
secure services. A multitude of security measures are often
implemented to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive resources.
Each resource often has unique protections in place that users must
authenticate against in order to manage the system. This generally
leads to redundant authentication steps and lost time as an
authorized employee must start the process over from scratch as
they jump between systems to perform required maintenance.
[0049] With reference to FIG. 11, a common interface 1101 can be
provided for use with the controller 630 or the controller 830
described above as well as additional controllers 1102, which are
separate and independent from the controller 630 or 830 and one
another. The controller 630 or 830 and the additional controllers
1102 are tied to the common interface 1101 and the common interface
1101 is configured to authenticate the users. To this end, the
common interface 1101 can be embodied in a hypervisor or a
multiplexer and can include one or more of a graphical user
interface (GUI) 1110 and a physical authentication interface 1120
that, in turn, can include one or more of an RFID badge
authentication interface 1121 and a fingerprint identification
device 1122. In these or other cases, the controller 630 or 830 is
configured to perform OS level control of locking elements in
accordance with at least an authentication of the users by the
common interface 1101.
[0050] With reference to FIG. 12, a method of operating a system,
such as system 101 of FIG. 1 or system 801 of FIG. 8 is provided.
As shown in FIG. 12, the method includes controlling locking
elements to assume locked conditions whereby corresponding
securable resources are locked by the locking elements (block
1201), receiving an instruction to authorize users to unlock one or
more of the securable resources (block 1202), receiving a request
from a user to unlock and thereby gain access to one or more of the
securable resources (block 1203) and determining whether the user
is authorized to unlock and thereby gain access to the one or more
of the securable resources associated with the request (block
1204). In addition, the method includes receiving an indication of
authentication of the user from a common interface (block 1205) and
performing OS level control of the corresponding locking elements
in accordance with the user being determined to be authorized and
the indication of the authentication of the user being received
(block 1206).
[0051] The OS level authentication provided by to the common
interface 1101 allows an authorized user to authenticate once to
gain access to all necessary resources. This will, for example,
allow a system administrator to perform maintenance on cables or
communication devices that interface across multiple systems within
the data center. If an unauthorized or disgruntled employee
attempts to access resources, physical locks and security devices
will prevent them from removing or altering cables and connections
across these sensitive resources. Only authorized users will be
allowed to rewire and maintain devices within the data center at
the discretion of a system administrator.
[0052] Many devices are now incorporating hardware based
authentication schemes to minimize vulnerabilities and security
risks while accessing certain resources. Most modern mobile
devices, for example, employ biometrics such as a finger print
scanner or facial recognition software to authenticate specific
users to the contents of the device. These metrics generally tend
to interface with a security product to grant or deny access to
specific software resources such as bank account information and
other sensitive data. Many physical assets may also be protected by
biometrics or other physical protections such as RFID badging.
These systems tend to work off of standalone or proprietary
validation systems which often times have delayed responses or
simple work arounds such as tailgating through a badge locked
door.
[0053] With reference to FIG. 13, a physical authentication
interface 1301 can be provided for use with the controller 630 or
the controller 830 described above. In these or other cases, the
physical authentication interface 1301 can be configured to enable
or disable a capability of the controller 630 or 830 to perform the
OS level authentication. In accordance with embodiments of the
present invention, the physical authentication interface 1301 can
include one or more of an RFID badge authentication interface 1310
and biometrics, such as a fingerprint identification device
1320.
[0054] With reference to FIG. 14, a method of operating a system,
such as system 101 of FIG. 1 or system 801 of FIG. 8 is provided.
As shown in FIG. 14, the includes controlling locking elements to
assume locked conditions whereby corresponding securable resources
are locked by the locking elements (block 1401), receiving an
instruction to authorize users to unlock one or more of the
securable resources (block 1402), receiving a request from a user
to unlock and thereby gain access to one or more of the securable
resources (block 1403) and determining whether the user is
authorized to unlock and thereby gain access to the one or more of
the securable resources associated with the request (block 1404).
In addition, the method includes determining whether OS level
authentication capability is enabled or disabled by, for example,
receiving an indication thereof from a physical authentication
interface (block 1405), performing the OS level authentication of
the user in an event the OS level authentication capability is
enabled (block 1406) and performing OS level control of the
corresponding locking elements in accordance with the user being
determined to be authorized and authenticated (block 1407).
[0055] With reference to FIGS. 15 and 16 and, in accordance with
embodiments of the present invention, at least one of the locking
feature 410 and the actuator 420 can be disposed at an exterior of
the housing 116. Here, again, each cable 321 can include the plug
320, the connector body 3201 and the receiving feature 3202. The
connector body 3201 can extend outwardly and laterally from the
plug 320 and the receiving feature 3202 can be formed as a pocket
3204. With this or a similar construction, when the plug 320 is
inserted into the plug receiver 310, the receiving feature 3202 is
disposed adjacent to an exterior facing surface of the housing 116.
The locking feature 410 is configured to assume a locked condition
or an unlocked condition. In the locked condition, the locking
feature 410 engages with the pocket 3204 such that the cable 321 is
locked to the computing resource 110 and cannot be unplugged (see
FIG. 15). Alternatively, in the locked condition, the locking
feature 410 blocks passage of the receiving feature 3202 such that
the locking feature 410 effectively prevents the plug 320 from
being inserted into the plug receiver 310. In the unlocked
condition, the locking feature 410 disengages from the pocket 3204
such that the cable 321 is unlocked from the computing resource 110
and can be unplugged (see FIG. 16). Alternatively, in the unlocked
condition, the locking feature 410 permits passage of the receiving
feature 3202 such that the locking feature 410 effectively permits
the plug 320 to be inserted into the plug receiver 310.
[0056] The actuator 420 is coupled to the locking feature 410 and
is configured to control the locking feature 410 to assume the one
of the locked and unlocked conditions. In accordance with
embodiments of the present invention, the actuator 420 can be
provided as a linear actuator or as a rotary actuator 4201 as shown
in FIGS. 15 and 16. In the case of the actuator 420 being provided
as the rotary actuator 4201, the rotary actuator 4201 can include
an output shaft 610 that extends to an exterior of the housing 116
and a physical locking feature 620. The physical locking feature
610 is coupled to the output shaft 610 at the exterior of the
housing 116 and is configured for engagement with the receiving
feature 3202 of the cable 321 (to either lock the cable 321 in
place or to prevent insertion of the cable 321). The rotary
actuator 4201 is configured to rotate the output shaft 610 in first
and second opposite directions to be rotationally moved into or out
of locking and unlocking positions with respect to the pocket
3204.
[0057] Various embodiments of the invention are described herein
with reference to the related drawings. Alternative embodiments of
the invention can be devised without departing from the scope of
this invention. Various connections and positional relationships
(e.g., over, below, adjacent, etc.) are set forth between elements
in the following description and in the drawings. These connections
and/or positional relationships, unless specified otherwise, can be
direct or indirect, and the present invention is not intended to be
limiting in this respect. Accordingly, a coupling of entities can
refer to either a direct or an indirect coupling, and a positional
relationship between entities can be a direct or indirect
positional relationship. Moreover, the various tasks and process
steps described herein can be incorporated into a more
comprehensive procedure or process having additional steps or
functionality not described in detail herein.
[0058] One or more of the methods described herein can be
implemented with any or a combination of the following
technologies, which are each well known in the art: a discrete
logic circuit(s) having logic gates for implementing logic
functions upon data signals, an application specific integrated
circuit (ASIC) having appropriate combinational logic gates, a
programmable gate array(s) (PGA), a field programmable gate array
(FPGA), etc.
[0059] For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to
making and using aspects of the invention may or may not be
described in detail herein. In particular, various aspects of
computing systems and specific computer programs to implement the
various technical features described herein are well known.
Accordingly, in the interest of brevity, many conventional
implementation details are only mentioned briefly herein or are
omitted entirely without providing the well-known system and/or
process details.
[0060] In some embodiments, various functions or acts can take
place at a given location and/or in connection with the operation
of one or more apparatuses or systems. In some embodiments, a
portion of a given function or act can be performed at a first
device or location, and the remainder of the function or act can be
performed at one or more additional devices or locations.
[0061] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As
used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to
include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms
"comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification,
specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps,
operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the
presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, element components, and/or groups thereof.
[0062] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and
equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the
claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or
act for performing the function in combination with other claimed
elements as specifically claimed. The present disclosure has been
presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not
intended to be exhaustive or limited to the form disclosed. Many
modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary
skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the
disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to
best explain the principles of the disclosure and the practical
application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to
understand the disclosure for various embodiments with various
modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
[0063] The diagrams depicted herein are illustrative. There can be
many variations to the diagram or the steps (or operations)
described therein without departing from the spirit of the
disclosure. For instance, the actions can be performed in a
differing order or actions can be added, deleted or modified. Also,
the term "coupled" describes having a signal path between two
elements and does not imply a direct connection between the
elements with no intervening elements/connections therebetween. All
of these variations are considered a part of the present
disclosure.
[0064] The following definitions and abbreviations are to be used
for the interpretation of the claims and the specification. As used
herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes,"
"including," "has," "having," "contains" or "containing," or any
other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive
inclusion. For example, a composition, a mixture, process, method,
article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not
necessarily limited to only those elements but can include other
elements not expressly listed or inherent to such composition,
mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus.
[0065] Additionally, the term "exemplary" is used herein to mean
"serving as an example, instance or illustration." Any embodiment
or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be
construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or
designs. The terms "at least one" and "one or more" are understood
to include any integer number greater than or equal to one, i.e.
one, two, three, four, etc. The terms "a plurality" are understood
to include any integer number greater than or equal to two, i.e.
two, three, four, five, etc. The term "connection" can include both
an indirect "connection" and a direct "connection."
[0066] The terms "about," "substantially," "approximately," and
variations thereof, are intended to include the degree of error
associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon
the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For
example, "about" can include a range of .+-.8% or 5%, or 2% of a
given value.
[0067] The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a
computer program product at any possible technical detail level of
integration. The computer program product may include a computer
readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program
instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects
of the present invention.
[0068] The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible
device that can retain and store instructions for use by an
instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium
may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage
device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an
electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or
any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of
more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium
includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk,
a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable
programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static
random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only
memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a
floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or
raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon,
and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable
storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being
transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely
propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves
propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g.,
light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical
signals transmitted through a wire.
[0069] Computer readable program instructions described herein can
be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a
computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or
external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a
local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network.
The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical
transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls,
switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter
card or network interface in each computing/processing device
receives computer readable program instructions from the network
and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage
in a computer readable storage medium within the respective
computing/processing device.
[0070] Computer readable program instructions for carrying out
operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions,
instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine
instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware
instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated
circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any
combination of one or more programming languages, including an
object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or the
like, and procedural programming languages, such as the "C"
programming language or similar programming languages. The computer
readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's
computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software
package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote
computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the
latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's
computer through any type of network, including a local area
network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may
be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet
using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments,
electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic
circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable
logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program
instruction by utilizing state information of the computer readable
program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in
order to perform aspects of the present invention.
[0071] Aspects of the present invention are described herein with
reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of
methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products
according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood
that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block
diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations
and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable
program instructions.
[0072] These computer readable program instructions may be provided
to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose
computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to
produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via
the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing
apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts
specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in
a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a
programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to
function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable
storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an
article of manufacture including instructions which implement
aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block
diagram block or blocks.
[0073] The computer readable program instructions may also be
loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing
apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps
to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or
other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that
the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable
apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified
in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0074] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate
the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible
implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products
according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this
regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent
a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one
or more executable instructions for implementing the specified
logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the
functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in
the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in
fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may
sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the
functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of
the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations
of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can
be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that
perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations
of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
[0075] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present
invention have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are
not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments
disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope
and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used
herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the
embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement
over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of
ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments described
herein.
* * * * *